Oh Mother
by Rainy Little Ghost
Summary: a story that my sister didn't want to continue, so I'm taking over. Sakura and her mother escaped from their bad husband/father and move to another town, but other problems stand in their way of fitting in. SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi this is Rainy. I'm very happy to be taking over this story for my sister, who lost interest. Hope you like what I write. JazzyCat wrote chapters 1-6 and everything after that is mine. :)**

She came home that day and rushed straight to her room.

Her parents were fighting. She didn't want to be around when he started hitting her. She tried to be quiet as she climbed the stairs, and locked her door. She could still hear them, but tried to focus on homework.

"You're so irresponsible! You have to be more careful with that sort of thing! We have a daughter!"

"I don't care; I'll do what I want! I'm the man of this household, and what I say goes. If you try to go up against me on that, then I'll—" Sakura covered her ears, unwilling to hear that last bit. Rummaging around in one of her desk drawers, she found a pair of headphones and in the back of her closet was her old CD player. She dug up some new batteries and a CD that someone had given to her and tried to block out all the noise.

She skipped around until she found a song that had a good enough melody not to distract her.

**_She was so young  
with such innocent eyes.  
She always dreamed  
of a fairytale life.  
And all the things  
that your money can't buy.  
She thought that  
he was a wonderful guy.  
Then suddenly  
things seemed to change.  
It was the moment  
she took on his name.  
He took his anger  
out on her face.  
She kept all of her pain  
locked away._**

Sakura ripped the headphones off her head and threw them across the room, unwilling to hear anymore. It was too familiar. The CD still played, but she couldn't hear what else it said. Had she been paying attention, she would have known what would have happened next, as that song was similar to her own life.

**_It was the day  
that he turned on the kids.  
That she knew  
she just had to leave him.  
So many voices  
inside of her head  
saying over and over and over;  
you deserve much more than this. _**

Instead of listening, she finished her homework and went to bed. She wasn't hungry. She didn't want to go downstairs. She always kept her door locked, and she always prayed that her mother was alright the next day.

Morning rolled around, and Sakura got ready for school. Her father was gone; he worked very early and that gave her some free time in the morning if she woke up early enough. She took her time in the shower and carefully picked out her outfit for the day. She made sure she looked perfect before ritualistically brushing her hair one hundred times. It hung strait and perfect down her back, and fell past her waist, to her hips. She was proud of her hair. It was one of the things that made her popular and pretty. After taking painstaking care of her hair for this long, she wasn't planning on cutting it.

She packed her books and headed downstairs, where she found her mother sitting at the kitchen table with the newspaper. There was a plate in front of her, now empty, and one next to her, still full, for Sakura. The pink haired girl took her place at the table, thanked her mother, and ate her food.

"Thanks again Mom," she said, and leaned in to kiss her mother's cheek. "I'm off." She checked her skirt wasn't riding up and slung her backpack on one shoulder. "See you later!" She smiled as she walked out the door, completely missing the sad look on her mother's face.

She hummed a little tune as she biked to school, going over her math homework in her head, trying to make sure she got them all right. Before she knew it, she'd arrived, and almost crashed into the bike rack from not paying attention.

"Hey, watch out," said one kid she'd nearly run over. She apologized before hurrying inside, already almost late. She took her place in homeroom just as the teacher walked in.

"Okay, nothing special going on today, so...go out into the world." He wasn't serious; he just wasn't a morning person. He preferred silence until noon, or so, and then was fully awake. Any students who had him after lunch were the ones who actually learned form him.

And so, they sat for the next ten minutes of homeroom while their teacher put his head down on his desk. Someone tapped Sakura on the shoulder, and she turned to face them. It was a girl named Mikya, who Sakura was sort of friends with. She wasn't completely friends with anyone, because she never knew when she'd be moving. Her father's work required him to move around quite a bit, and so she was always uprooted. She found it easier to just...not have close friends.

"Um, Sakura...I figured you should know...there's a rumor going around about you." She blinked. What kind of rumor?

"Really? What is the rumor?"

"Well, some of the guys you turned down...they all got together and decided to tell everyone you turned them all down because you had an older guy you were whoring out to..." She looked down at her hands, embarrassed to have said that. Sakura blinked. People were really that petty? She sighed and brushed a lock of pink hair from her eyes.

"Thanks for telling me, Mikya. I'll deal with it." How, she didn't know, but she'd figure something out. The bell rang and everyone got up, heading for their next class. Sakura was the last to leave. She wanted to tell a teacher, but she didn't at the same time. She decided against it at the last minute and ran after everyone else.

School was over. Sakura packed her bags and biked home. She put the bike in the garage and walked slowly, quietly, hesitantly, to the front door. Inside, she could hear raised voices. The fighting had already begun. She eased the door open and peeked in. There was her mother, in the kitchen, and her father, too, but he was hidden by the wall. All she could see was his arm as he flailed it around while he screamed.

"I'm the one who has a job here!" he yelled.

"I'm the one who actually does any work!" Her mother returned.

"I don't care what you say, what you do isn't actually work! I'm the one who gets up every morning and goes to a job and makes the money that supports this family!!"

"All it supports is you DRINKING habits!" Her mother screamed. Sakura slid into the house and closed the door silently behind her. She sneaked toward the stairs.

"What? I don't have a drinking habit! You've got the eating problems! There's never any money because you go out and buy enough food to feed a third world country and then eat it all in a day and a half!!" That was complete bullshit. Sakura's mother was thin. As was Sakura. There was never any money because her father was a heavy drinker, and was addicted to gambling. He refused to admit he had a problem, and instead made up crap and blamed it on Sakura and her mother.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Sakura and I are starving! There's no food because there's no MONEY. Because you gamble it all away, and spend it on your booze! I can't believe you'd blame it on me and your daughter!"

"Don't talk to me like that!" her father roared. Sakura walked up the stairs and closed the door to her bedroom before she could hear anymore. She flopped onto her bed and tried not to cry. She was absolutely sick of this. She couldn't take anymore. Family problems...

Her grades had been declining, and the principal had pulled Sakura into her office and asked about her life at home.

"Are there any problems at home?" If this question was asked, Sakura had been ordered by her father to say "No, I've just been getting a little less sleep lately." So that's what she'd said. She wanted so badly to tell the truth...

She could still hear their voices faintly. She pressed a pillow over her eyes but that didn't work. She put the CD player back in and slid her headphones on. She wanted a nap. Her eyes closed, the music filled her head, and her wish to sleep was granted.

She woke late at night. She'd slept for five hours at the least, and was now starving. Quietly, she went downstairs for food. As she crept down the stairs, she heard soft sobs.

Her mother.

"Mom?" Sakura whispered as she crept around the corner. Her mother was at the table, head in her hands, crying softly. Her father was probably sleeping. "Mommy, are you alright?" She heard that time. She sat up straight and wiped her face.

"Is that you, Sakura, dear?"

"Yes."

"Oh, are you hungry? Let me fix you something to eat." Her mother was avoiding the subject, so Sakura let it go. Instead she sat at the table and played with her long hair while her mother bustled around the kitchen looking for food. She ended up eating PB&J that night, but she didn't mind. She sat at the table with her mother and ate.

"You're so pretty," her mother said. "I'm so proud of you." She patted her head.

"I love you Mom."

"I love you too, sweetie." There was a sudden noise from the bedroom, and Sakura's mother's face blanched. "You should get to bed," she said, and Sakura obeyed.

"Mom, are you sure you don't want me--"

"Go! Quick!" The urgency in her mother's voice made her go. She made it to her room, but didn't close the door. She wanted to hear this fight.

"You're still here? Get out."

"Get out of what?"

"Get out of my sight. Go sleep on the couch or something."

"No. This is as much my house as it is yours." Sakura started to creep back down the stairs.

"Well, I just want you to go away. And I'm the man; I'm in charge of you."

"Bullshit. Women and men are equal."

"No, they're not. Men are stronger, and I'll always be in charge of you if I can overpower you." Sakura could see into the kitchen. They were fighting, but this was different. Her father was more physically into this fight. It was...frightening. THIS was going to change her life, and she knew it. She slid into the doorway to the kitchen and saw her father grab her mother and push her. She landed against the dish rack, making a glass fall. The crash resonated throughout the house.

Her mother stood up. "Don't touch me!" She spat. He did the opposite. He balled up a fist and hit her hard, in the face. Something, at that moment, snapped in Sakura. With wild eyes, she jumped onto her father's back.

"Don't touch my mother!" She screamed in his ear and began pounding on his shoulders with small fists. "Don't touch her!"

He grabbed her and threw her next to her mother. "Get off me! You're a child! You have no authority! I'm the boss of you! And I'll beat both of you to my heart's content!" He hit Sakura. Lyrics flowed into her mind.

**_It was the day that he turned on the kids..._**

She put up her arms to protect herself, but he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her away from her mom. "I'll teach you to go against me..." he said while going through drawers in the kitchen .Finally, he found what he was looking for.

Scissors.

She struggled, but it was no use. He made the first cut, and her pink locks fell onto the floor around her. She screamed. Her beautiful hair...but it was over. It was all gone. He thought he'd won.

Her hair was now in an uneven line that reached to her chin. She crawled back to her mother's side. He reached for her next, but Sakura was ready.

She grabbed the broom and hit him hard in the stomach. Hard enough to knock him out. Once he was out, she started crying. And crying. And crying.

Her ribs hurt from being hit. And her ego hurt from the haircut. After a moment, her mother spoke.

"Pack what you can," she said. "We're leaving."


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom...are you okay?" Sakura whispered. The seats under them jostled slightly with the movement of the train. Her mother didn't look up, only stared straight ahead and didn't answer. Sakura sat back, deciding to let it go. She leaned her pink head back against the headrest and closed her eyes.

"We're going to Konoha," her mother said suddenly, making her jump.

"What?"

"Konoha. That's where we're moving. I didn't tell your father. And you shouldn't either."

"Mother," Sakura said, indignant, "we just escaped near death because of him. What the hell would make you think I'd tell him where we live?"

"Just being careful, love." Her mother was quiet again.

"Arriving at: Suna," the train's PA said, and many passengers around the two women bustled and gathered their things. "Next stop: Konoha."

'_That's our new home,'_ Sakura thought to herself. She drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs, burying her face in the skin of her knee. Another twenty minutes and they'd be there.

Everything in her life would be different. She didn't have to deal with the people at her school, those people who thought she was their "friend", when really; they just wanted to use her to get popular. People who were jealous of her, or hated her for turning them down. She was finally free from the rumors started about her every other day.

But she'd take it all back if it meant going home.

This was a scary new prospect. A new house—that was one thing—but an entire new city to live in was something different. At least she had her mother, and she wasn't going to boarding school. She hoped.

"Arriving at: Konoha." The train's PA said again. Sakura's mother got up and started getting their things together. Sakura followed suit.

"We're going to my sister's place," her mother said. "She said she might be able to get us an apartment." The train screeched to a halt and the doors opened slowly. Sakura followed her mother off the train and onto the platform, made of sand colored stone. It was the biggest train station she'd ever seen. She gaped at the number of people she could see, and almost didn't see when her mother walked away. She hurried after her, not wanting to get lost.

Her mother led her through the streets, both carrying bags on their backs with barely anything other than clothes in them, until they reached a small house with a red door. There were shutters and an old-fashioned knocker.

"Knock, please, Sakura, I can barely reach it." It's true. Sakura was taller than her mother, but only by a few inches. The pink haired girl reached up, grasped the knocker and banged it twice against the door. The sound seemed to echo and reverberate; filling Sakura with a kind of nervousness she'd never known.

The reality of the situation hit her then and there: They were running away. From home. From their family. From everything they had. She shrank back from the door and allowed her mother to take the lead from there.

Footsteps and the creak of the hinges made her pay attention as the door opened, and out peered a woman with piercing green eyes, just like Sakura's. The woman looked first to Sakura's mother, and then back to the girl who shared her eyes.

"Yuko?" The woman said. Sakura's mother nodded. "What are you doing here?" Her eyes were wide in surprise. She opened the door and invited them in.

"Well, uh...I emailed you, but I don't know if you got it...I need help, Mayu." Sakura's eyes flew between the two women in front of her. Mayu and Yuko. Sisters who hadn't spoken in years. Women who hadn't seen each other since god only know when, and here they were talking like it hadn't been more than a few minutes.

Mayu served tea, and sat down at the table, preparing herself. "You're not pregnant again, are you?"

"Oh, God! No! No!" Then in a lower voice, she whispered, "he hasn't touched me in months." Sakura winced, not wanting to hear such things. That was her parents' sex life--which was now over, by the way--and she didn't need to know what went on. "Actually, we ran out." Mayu covered her mouth at Yuko's confession.

"Really? Oh, good, that guy was a bastard if I ever saw one." She made a disgusted noise from the back of her throat. "Anyway, what can I do?"

"We need a place to stay. At least for the night. Until we can get an apartment or something more permanent." Sakura could almost see her mother biting her lip nervously in the hopes that they'd be allowed to stay there for a night, maybe two.

"Well...it might be a stretch, but..." Score. My mom knew we were staying. "I've got a pull out couch in the basement. You two would have to share, but..."

"That's fine. We don't mind at all. Thank you so much, Mayu!" The door closed and the two women were left alone. Sakura gave her mother a look.

"What?" She asked. "Okay, it's small. We can't stay here for long...but we won't! I promise! I'll go out tomorrow and look to see if someone's subletting an apartment. And then we'll move out. I promise." Sakura shrugged and sat down on the lumpy bed, covered in dust, coughing when said dust rose into the air and swirled around her.

"I'll take the floor," she said, and beat one of the pillows until it was clean.

The next day, Sakura woke up with a stiff back. Her mother woke a few minutes after her and together they set out looking for apartments, Sakura coming along more because she didn't want to stay in that house with the aunt she'd never met alone.

"What about this one?" Her mother asked. No matter how big, or beautiful, or reasonably priced it was, Sakura would always find something wrong with it.

"It's too cramped in here," she'd say, or "I don't like the living room layout." She really just missed her old town. She'd had friends there. And it took her a long time to make those friends.

By the end of the day, Yuko had had to pick one herself, because Sakura wasn't cooperating. It was one that Sakura did like, but refused to admit, because it had a nice view and spacious closets. It was also very cheap. If Yuko got a job, she'd be able to afford it easily.

"Alright, then let's move in."

"One problem, Mom."

"What?"

"We have no furniture."

"We have beds. And a couch. I had a friend of mine get them from the house and send them over. But we'll have to eat on the floor for a while, at least until I've saved up enough for a table."

"Alright." Sakura sighed. Then she stayed outside the house on the steps while her mother ran back to her sister's house and retrieved their things. She put her head in her hands and sighed loudly while staring at the setting sun. It turned the sky a pinkish orange color that she'd never seen before. She found it mesmerizing and repulsive, and eventually turned her head, deciding to watch the people pass by on the streets.

And that was when she saw the most gorgeous man she'd ever laid eyes on.


	3. Chapter 3

She smoothed her skirt and looked at herself in the mirror one last time before heading downstairs. The new uniform, in her opinion, was one of the best she'd ever worn. It was red, the skirt came to a few inches above her knees, and the collar allowed for a lower neckline than most, not choking her like most of the others she'd worn.

"I can't believe it," she thought. "Another new school. Dad's job made us move a bit, but I didn't think the next one would be so soon." She sighed, winked at herself in the mirror--her custom for each new morning.

"Sakura, you're going to be late!" This sounded like a familiar routine.

"I'm coming." She rushed down the stairs and sat at the table. Her mother put a plate of food down in front of her and she started shoveling it into her mouth. "Thanks, Mom," she said between bites. "It's really good."

"Slow down or you'll choke."

"Yes Mom." Sakura finished her food and put her plate in the sink. She threw back a glass of orange juice and hurried upstairs to brush her teeth, sucking her gums at the foul taste of OJ and toothpaste.

"Bleh." She rushed out the door, waving to her mother. "Bye." The door slammed, and Yuko was left all alone.

Sakura gripped the smooth handle of her new school bag, rubbing the leather with her thumb. It felt foreign to her, but she'd have to get used to it. She watched her feet as she walked, counting her steps to herself. _One, two, one two._ She knew the way. She'd made the trip at least ten times over the weekend, desperate for something to do. Her mind had been racing since she'd seen him. She'd only laid eyes on him once but she couldn't get him out of her head. Even _she_ found that sad.

But he was just so..._gorgeous._ She couldn't stop picturing his face. It was flawless, and his messy raven hair was...well, messy. She couldn't describe him as anything less than breathtaking, even for the three seconds that she'd seen him.

"And I'll never see him again," she told herself. "So why bother thinking about him?"

The school was huge, compared to what she was used to. Two gyms, a library, fifty or so classrooms, and a few extra reading rooms for studying, tutoring sessions, or just to keep kids with nothing better to do out of the hallways. The hallways were long and straight, and looking at them through the windows of the outside intimidated her, so she wasn't sure how she was going to feel walking around in them.

She could see the school building from where she was. She was almost considering turning around and trying again later, but decided against it. She'd escaped to start a new life and she wanted it to be a normal one. Students were rushing in and she knew she'd soon be one of the many she saw, just another one of the regular kids. That was all that she wanted.

Sakura started forward slowly, still nervous about starting at a new school. She took deep breaths, and walked through the double doors.

--

She found herself in what she presumed to be the main hallway. It was still full of people, all of whim turned to look at her as she made her way to the office.

Unnerving. People staring at you was never a good sign. Not when you're appearance wasn't normal, anyway. Sakura sighed and tried to ignore them--a difficult feat, but she was used to doing it. She walked down the hall perhaps faster than she needed to, but it got her there all the faster, and out of the eyes of the others. She leaned against the door once inside.

"Hello, there dear. Can I help you?" An elderly secretary asked. Even in the supposed safety of the office she couldn't avoid stares because of her hair.

"Um...I'm the new student. I just came to get my schedule..." Sakura dug through her bag for the registration forms she was supposed to hand in. The woman scanned over them and seemed to remember something. Perhaps her boss had mentioned a new student. Whatever it was, Sakura was given a class schedule, a map of the school and...

"A buddy."

"Huh?"

"All the new or transfer students get one for a little while, until they can adjust to the school and everyone in it. If you'll wait just a moment I'll pull up your assigned buddy and have him or her come get you..." she typed speedily on the keyboard in front of her, and then waited as something loaded. Sakura cringed as she heard the woman say "buddy" that many times. It was a lame word.

"Ah, yes, here we go." She picked up the phone and dialed a quick number. "Hello, Kakashi-sensei, the new student has arrived. Could you please send down Sasuke? Yes. Yes. Only a moment or two. Thank you. Bye." She hung up and turned back to the computer screen. "He'll be here in but a moment. Please, have a seat."

Sakura remained standing; instead deciding to look at the map she was given. It was a rough sketch of the school with numbers in spots where classrooms were, and names for the hallways. It seemed easy enough to remember. She compared it to the places her schedule said her classes took place in.

The door creaked open, making her jump. "You called for me?" Came a deep, rumbling voice. Sakura's mind temporarily melted at the sound of it.

"Yes, thank you for coming, Sasuke. Sakura's new. Would you mind showing her around?"

He took one look at her and he already didn't like her. She looked like the girls that were already attending the school--hyper and noisy. She looked at him and her jaw dropped. There stood the handsome, raven-haired man she'd seen on the street, but his face was twisted into something of distaste.

"Nice to meet you," she said. He looked her over head to toe and turned around. He simply walked out of the office. She guessed that was her cue to follow. She thanked the secretary on the way out. Sakura followed Sasuke out into the hall and watched him walk. This wasn't how she pictured him.

She'd thought of him more as a dream guy based on looks and look alone, from the one time she'd seen him walking down the street. She sighed.

_It's for the best. A relationship would complicate my life even more than it already is. Not like there's ever be a relationship with this guy, so I don't even have to wish, _she thought to herself. Then Sasuke turned around and stared her straight in the eye, assessing her.

"Um..." she said, unsure what to think.

"You're the same as any of them..." he turned away, and she thought for a moment she saw disappointment on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

She took a seat in the class after being led by Sasuke, who she was certain, hated her. The only open seat was next to her "buddy" and she had no choice but to sit there, as much as she didn't want to. She felt the stares of everyone else in the room accompanying the glare of hatred of the boy next to her.

She lowered her eyes to the desk and listened to the teacher drone on for the last few minutes of class. Then the bell rang. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to leave, but Sakura wasn't sure where she should be hurrying to, so instead, she asked the teacher, because Sasuke had already walked away.

"Um, excuse me," she said. "Could you tell me where this room is?" She held out the paper to the man, who peered at it.

"Ah, yes, that's right down the hall, make a left, first door on the right. Don't you have someone showing you around?"

"Um, yeah, but it's alright. I don't want to trouble him. He needs to focus on his studies too, and me asking him would just--"

"Who is it, because it's his responsibility to take on all tasks given to him, and learning to juggle everything is a part of growing up. So, please, tell me, what's his name?"

"No, really, it's fine, it's..." the teacher didn't lift his gaze from her face, making her give in. "It's Sasuke."

"Well, we'll just see about that." He took out a pad of post-its and scribbled something down, then got up and led Sakura from the room. She followed him down the hall to another classroom where he went in and spoke to the teacher. The other teacher then asked Sasuke to leave the room.

"Yes?" He asked, as little testily.

"You're supposed to be showing the new girl around, not ignoring her, Sasuke. I've gotten you out of class, so please take this time to--"

"Got it." He grabbed Sakura's hand and led her away from the teacher. "Let's go, girl."

"Um..." Sakura followed, pulled along harshly by her wrist until they were out of sight of the teacher, then he dropped her arm and turned to look at her.

"Alright, look, I didn't sign up for this job, and you seem smart enough, so why don't you take that map they gave you and get busy showing _yourself_ around, hm?"

"I...I...uh..." he held his hand up, somehow with the map in it. She took it gingerly from his fingers and looked at her feet. "Okay," she whispered.

"Good." He stood up straight, stuck his hands in the pocket of his red pants and walked away, leaving the girl he was responsible for alone in the hall.

--

"He didn't have to be so mean about it," Sakura said to herself as she passed the same classroom for the third time. "And how the hell do I keep walking in a circle?" She flipped the map but it made even less sense that way. She turned it back and tried a different hallway. It led her through the cafeteria and into the back of the school, where she found a group of what she assumed to be delinquents having a cigarette.

"EEP!" She said when they spotted her. "Sorry, didn't mean to, interrupt or anything, so I'll just be leaving now." She made for the door but they had other plans.

"Hey, cutie, stay a while!" One called and another blocked the way back.

"Um, no thanks, bye!" She tried to go around, but they were adamant.

"It's not everyday we get someone as pretty as you down here with us. Stay a while, c'mon."

"Um, I really have to get back to class, so--hey!" One of them was fingering her pink hair.

"I've never seen this color before, is it natural?"

"C-could you not touch me please?" She backed away into the man blocking the door.

"No way are we letting you go! Stay and have fun with us!" One of them grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against the wall, pinning her. He had a blue mohawk and multiple facial piercings. "Want a smoke?" he offered her the cigarette in his mouth. She held her breath and shook her head. "You sure?" He blew smoke from his nostrils into her face.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm sure." She tried to pull away, but his arm was stronger than it looked. In a minute, she was going to resort to force. "Please let me go, now."

"Awww, why?"

"Because I wan to be let go. Please do as I ask."

"Or you'll what, sweetheart?" A few of them giggled. The one in front of her naked a hand down onto her thigh.

_My first day here and I'm already being sexually harassed? Wow. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to--_

"Hey!" The man pinning her was suddenly dragged away from her, his hand removed from it's resting place on her leg. "What the hell?" Sakura opened her eyes which had been squeezed tightly shut, only to see the one person who hated her most.

"Sasuke?!" She gaped at the boy standing there, pulling another away by the back of his shirt.

"Look, she said leave her alone, so leave her alone. I swear, if she complains, I get yelled at and I don't have time for that. Stay out of her face." He pushed the other boy away and left. Sakura hurried after him.

"W-wait!" He turned. "Thank you..." He walked away.

But at least she had someone she could almost call a friend.

--

Sakura slid her lunch tray along the line, allowing the angry-looking lunch ladies to fill it with questionable food. At the end, she paid and then turned to find a table. She scanned the room for someone she knew, but only found Sasuke. Tentatively, she approached him and the other people she was sitting with.

"Um, hi," she said shyly. "Can I--" Sasuke cut her off in the middle of her sentence.

"Look, I realize you were assigned to me so I could show you around, but it doesn't mean you need to follow me everywhere. You've given me enough trouble, now how about giving me some space." The look in his eyes made her believe he meant what he said. A few others at the table stifled their laughter.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry." Sakura hurried away to find another table. She ended up all alone.

After what he'd said, it was understandable that she was feeling upset, but watching her from Sasuke's table, the pretty blonde girl who sat with him grew more and more irritated by his behavior.

"Sasuke!" she said. "I can't believe you! She's just a new girl! Can't you be sensitive for half a second?" Even though she was madly in love with him, she didn't like it when he was a prick to people for no reason.

"No."

"Well, maybe you should try because you just made that girl cry. Go apologize!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Ino. It's her own damn fault. I don't care if she's crying."

"Oh, you don't care about her, and that's why you saved her from getting into trouble earlier, I suppose?" He was silent. She'd won. He'd lost his appetite. He threw the contents of his tray away and left the table to apologize.

"Hey," he said, coming up behind Sakura. She was just playing with her food. He thought he heard sniffling, but she didn't look at him so he couldn't see if there were tears. "So, listen..." he sighed."I don't usually do this sort of thing, but I'm...sorry. For what I said. I was an ass." Her ears had perked up and she turned.

"No, it's fine." He was relieved she was forgiving him. "You were right in fact. It was completely unreasonable for me to want to sit with you. I mean, I'm just the new girl, right?" He didn't like the tone in her voice. "I must have had some nerve. You have every right to just blow me off like that, so don't worry about it."

"Hey, you don't have to be a bitch about this; I'm trying to be nice."

"You have been. _Very, very_ nice. Thanks _so_ much." She got up and threw out her lunch then left the cafeteria, leaving Sasuke to scowl after her.

"Bitch."


	5. Chapter 5

"So how was school?" Her mother asked as she stormed through the door, throwing her bag across the room in frustration.

"I want to go home." Her mother blinked.

"We're not going back. This is our home now."

"I don't care. I hate it here. And I'm never going to school again."

"What happened this time?" Sakura had thrown herself on the couch and buried her face in a throw pillow. Her mother came and sat by her side. She rubbed her back comfortingly.

"The same thing as every other time, Mom. I got looks, I got laughs, and I got left. The person who was supposed to show me around doesn't care about it. He was a complete asshole!"

"Sweetie, it was your first day."

"That's doesn't justify being an asshole, Mom."

"No, but you're not going to become popular overnight, is what I think I'm trying to say." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I've got to start dinner in a moment, so why don't you go do your homework?" Grudgingly, Sakura raised herself from the couch and went to retrieve her bag. Climbing the stairs, she mumbled under her breath about things she hated.

"Frickin' dumbasses at school and old people who can't hear and slow people in the fast lane..." She reached her room and swung open the door. Something about it was different, but she dismissed the thought and started in on her work.

"A variable 'e' times three 'x' raised to the power of 2 is three times as much as six 'x' times negative 'e'. Solve for both 'x' and 'e'." She looked at the sheet of math homework before giggling. "Easy. It's 4 and 7." She scribbled the answer down and moved on. (**A/N: I have no clue if that's right, or if it's even possible. I just had to make up something hard that Sakura would find easy**) Within an hour she was almost done. Her mother called her.

"Sakura, dinner!"

"Coming!" She rushed downstairs and took her place at the table. Her mother placed food in front of her and she ate quickly, wanting to get back to her homework as soon as possible.

"So," her mother said, attempting to start a conversation. "Who's the boy who's supposed to show you around?" Sakura's mood instantly soured and her appetite was gone.

"Ugh. He's a complete jerk. Only cares about himself..." She squeezed her fork tightly in one hand, bending it beyond repair. "I can't stand him!" She pounded her fists on the table for emphasis. Then she let her face smooth over, as if regaining her composure and turned to her mother. "So how's job-hunting going?"

"F-fine. No luck yet, but..." Her mother eyed the broken fork and then her daughter, suspicious. Was she really alright if her mood could change just like that?

"Well I hope you have more luck tomorrow, then. Do your best!" She cheered. She straightened out her fork, finished her dinner in a few minutes and headed back upstairs. She changed out of her uniform, into her pajamas and sat back down at her desk. Within the hour, all work was done and she was yawning.

"Goodnight!" She called into the hallway after brushing her teeth. Her mother answered, her voice sounding far away. Sakura climbed into bed, pulled up the covers and flipped off her light, making a mental resolve to make tomorrow a better day.

The sun was not welcome in that house. Sakura was, needless to say, not a morning person. She woke grumpy, and usually stayed that way through her shower, until she'd eaten breakfast. Rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she remembered the promise to herself.

"Okay!" She said, and turned off the water. She wrapped a towel around herself and hurried back to her room to change. As she zipped up her skirt, and peeked at her reflection. She still liked the uniform.

"Morning, hon," her mother greeted as she skipped into the kitchen in search of food. "Feeling better today?"

"Not really, but today's gonna be a good day!"

"That's a good attitude..." Sakura was already gone, apple in hand, too far away to hear her mother's words.

"Bye!" she called from the door, and slammed it. She ran full blast from her house to school, not stopping along the way. She threw her apple core in a trash can on the way to class and took her assigned seat. She still had a few minutes until class, so she took out her homework and checked the answers.

"What a nerd..." she heard a whisper from the back of the room, though she chose to ignore it, until another joined in.

"I know. Look at her. She looks like one, too."

"She's gonna be a total teacher's pet."

"Yeah, especially to Kakashi. He's such a perve!" Their laughter was not so quiet. Sakura resisted the urge to turn and punch them both in the face, and just kept going over her math. Two plus two is four...

"Good morning, Sasuke!" someone called from across the room as the man walked in. He glared them into silence and took his seat, resting his head on his desk like he had a hangover. Maybe he did. What did Sakura care? She started looking over her English homework.

"How can you look so cheerful...?" Sakura turned to see who spoke. It was...she gasped...Sasuke. He was glaring at her now.

"Oh, speaking to me now?" She pretended to be engrossed in putting away her things as his silence answered her question. Then she remembered. "Sorry," she said. He didn't answer, but hoped he accepted. Suddenly, she felt her hair being tugged on.

"Wow. Is this color natural?" She looked up to see two girls she didn't know. "'Cause it's totally hideous."

Oh, ha-ha. They laughed like someone had just made a joke...oh, wait, that's right, they'd just tried to. And failed. Sakura wrenched her hair from their grip.

"Yes, it's natural, and you might think it's ugly, but not as bad as those highlights." Sakura turned around, leaving the girls gaping. She felt eyes boring into her head, and ignored them, though it was hard.

"Class is starting!" The teacher had finally showed up, ten minutes late. Everyone scurried to a seat. "Now, today, we'll be learning..." but Sakura didn't pay attention to what they were learning that day. Someone had passed her a note. It lay on the desk in front of her like a dead leave, moving faintly in the breeze coming from the open classroom window. Slowly, she opened it, finding big, messy writing.

**_POSER_**

She crumpled it up, took aim, and made a basket from halfway across the room. Then sat back and relaxed as she listened to the teacher drone on about things she already knew.

At lunch, she decided to ask Sasuke if she could sit there one more time. If he was an asshole about it, she wouldn't try again, but if not, then she wouldn't have to sit alone anymore. He looked at her warily as she approached, lunch tray in hand. She hadn't even opened her mouth yet when he held up a hand, turning her away.

"Why?" Sakura asked. He looked at her like she'd grown another head.

"Huh?"

"Why must you act like a jerk to me?" He didn't miss a beat in answering, making the others at his table giggle.

"Maybe because you're the new girl. Or you're coming on a little strong. Or you're a freak. A loser, a poser. "

"Poser?"

"Yeah, pink hair?" One girl chipped in. "That's so original." She rolled her eyes.

"This is my natural color," Sakura defended, which earned her another eye roll.

"Well, you look stupid," Sasuke said, commandeering the conversation back to himself. "And I don't want to be seen with someone like that. Nerd."

A plan was forming in her head. Without a word, she turned and walked away to the empty table she'd sat at last time. With her back to them, she ate in silence, no tears were shed, and she was too busy thinking to feel the stares or hear the laughs.

If they didn't like the way she looked, then...

"Oh, you're home?" Her mother said. Sakura didn't answer, just headed to her jar of money in the kitchen cabinet. There was next to nothing left, after her mother borrowed some for groceries, but there was just enough left. She scooped it out of the jar and pocketed it, leaving the house without another word. "Goodbye, then..." her mother said, confused.

Sakura stormed down the street, stomping angrily. Her mother had always said "don't change for them, find someone who will accept you for you," but at the moment, it didn't seem to apply. She walked into the first drug store she came across and marched right to the counter where a smiling woman turned her beaming face to her.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I think you can."


	6. Chapter 6

She put a little more bounce in her step as she walked into school the next day, thinking of her mother's reaction to her new look.

_"Are you sure about this, dear?"_

_"Yes, mother, very sure." She opened the box and quickly skimmed the instructions, running the bathroom sink tap until it was warm. "I'm tired of pink. I thought this would be cute on me anyway. She stuck her head under the flow until her hair was completely and evenly soaked, then she pulled back and opened the little bottle. There were little plastic gloves for her to wear as well and she pulled those on before running the black ooze through her hair. It took effect immediately, covering all pink, leaving no trace that it had ever been there. _

_Once it was all done and dry, she inspected it in the mirror, grinning. She'd even done her eyebrows to match. It was great. She looked totally different. Nothing like her old self. That ought to shut up those idiots at school. _

_"But I liked it the other way, dear. you shouldn't change yourself because other people think it's cool."_

_"Aw, Ma, you know that's not the only reason. I was...thinking about what you said. This is our home. And I don't ever want to be dragged home, so I thought...well, a disguise might help if he ever tries...well, y'know. But I gotta get my homework done, so I'll see you later, mom." That ended the discussion. _

When she'd finished her homework, she inspected her hair in the mirror for a while longer before going to bed. She was satisfied, and hoped others would be just as shocked. "Okay," she told herself. "This is it. This is how you know they won't laugh at you for being weird anymore." A fire of triumph burned in her eyes as she swung open the doors and stalked down the hall. "This is the day you show that bastard..." she turned into her homeroom. He was there. Good. "Who's the boss." She set her bag down on her desk loudly, making many around her jump as she sat. All conversation in the room stopped.

"Did you..." Sasuke asked, eying her head...or what was on top of it.

"Whatever do you mean?" She brushed a lock behind her ear, ignoring him from then on as the teacher came and started the school day.

In her class right before lunch, she prepared herself. She was planning on sitting with them, but she knew there was the possiblity they'd say 'no'. The bell rang, and she grabbed her things and shoved them in her locker before hurrying off to get in the lunch line.

She got there and startred fishing around her pockets to find she had no money.

"Dammit!" She said, looking for her wallet. It was nowhere to be found. She was almost at the front of the line. She started to panic--not cool if you were trying to look cool.

"Excuse me," someone said, breaking into her thoughts. She looked up to see a boy in a green shirt, with a terrible bowl cut looking down at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Umm...oh, I lost my wallet, and I can't find my lunch money..." she finally managed to say once she'd stopped staring.

"I see. Well then, allow me." He pushed her tray forward, along with his own and paid for both. Then he carried hers for her to an empty table.

"Oh...thank you..."

"Lee. You can call me Lee." Then he flashed here the most terrible wink and the light bounced off his teeth. He was kinda scary...but then again, he'd saved her--sorta. She threw a sideways glance at the table wit Sasuke and the blond girl, but sat with Lee anyway. She couldn't just leave him after all he'd done.

So much for changing their opinions of her.

"Remind me I owe you for that."

"Do not worry about it. My treat."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite."

"Well, thanks again Lee." Sakura smiled and dug in, grabbing her spoon and going for the soup.

"I have yet to learn your name."

"Oh...wow, how rude of me. I'm Sakura Haruno, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well. I hope you do not mind that i chose your seating place."

"No, it's fine. I wasn't planning on sitting anywhere in particular." Lies.

"Good. I was afraid i had taken you away from your friends and you felt compelled to sit with me."

"Oh, no, not at all, I don't mind. I don't really have any friends, so this is actually good." She sipped her soda and finished up her soup. "So, Lee, what do people do around here for fun?"

"Well, this town is small, so there are not many places to go. We have...a bookstore and a small shopping mall if you like them. But to make up for our lack of attractions, we have many parties."

"Really? Who's having one next?"

"I believe that would be Ino Yamanako. The blond girl sitting with the Uchiha." Lee pointed, and Sakura followed his finger to see the pretty one she'd seen earlier. So THAT was Ino Yamanako.

"How does one get invited to these parties?"

"Um...I don't know. She just...invites people at random, I guess."

"Do you ever go?"

"Of course! I must make an appearance so as not to insult the host!" Lee struck a happy pose, and Sakura looked on with curiosity. This Lee character was a weird one. But she didn't exactly dislike him.

"So all I have to do is get noticed by her?"

"Yes." He nodded, fist in the air, for some reason. "That's all. If you make an impression, she's sure to invite you."

"Really...well then, Lee, would you mind doing me one more favor?"

"Sasuke, wait up, I'll walk to class with you!" Ino called, quickly extracting her books from her locker and grrabbing a folder and a notebook. She slammed the door shut and hurried after the reatreating figure of the beautiful boy that refused to wait. "Sasu--oof!" Someone ran by and bumped her shoulder, causing her to drop everything,

"Hey! Watch it!" He rounded the corner so she couldn't see who it was, all she was was his green shirt. She bent down to gather her things, bumping hands with someone else. Startled, she looked up to see the new girl.

She looked different with her hair black--more normal. Probably what she was going for. She gathered the loose papers and handed them to Ino. "Here ya go."

"Oh, thanks."

"No problem." She got up and adjusted here own books in her hands, and flipped her hair over here shoulder. "I'll see ya."

This girl...wasn't as bad as some people had first thought. Just because her hair was pink, they'd thought she was weird. Ino shook her head. That was a terrible way to think.

"Hey!" She called to the girl. "Wait up a sec!"

**A/N: So you've probably guessed by now that Ino's gonna invite Sakura to the party. And to those who were angry with me about her hair...sorry?**


End file.
